BALLAN
Ballan is the last of the trifecta of
towns on the Melbourne to Ballarat Hgy .Ballan, though is a town in
its own right and is not a suburb of either Melbourne or Ballarat.
Ballan is a small town that has quite a lot going for it; heritage
factors are clearly important within this community.

Ballan
was named by
the first settler Robert von Steiglitz in 1838 after Ballan in Ireland
The first
European settlers crossed Bass Strait landing near Geelong and worked
their way up the Moorabool River with their sheep flocks. Robert von
Steiglitz first settled the area in 1838, who named the area after
Ballan in Ireland Other early settler names included Covvie, Stead,
Wallace and Egerton.
Gold was found
in the area in 1851 which brought an influx of prospectors during the
Victorian Gold Rush. The Ballan Hotel dates from the gold rush period
in 1851. The town became an important staging point for coaches
travelling to the Ballarat goldfields.
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St Paul’s
Presbyterian Church in Ballan was officially opened in July 1866. The
Anglican is also 150 plus years but the Catholic Church is over a 100
years but for the traveller will be disappointed with what has
occurred.
The War Memorial is located near the Post Office. 
Ballan is a nice
spot and as launch spot for either Ballarat or Melbourne and because
of all these heritage factors a stopover
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Heritage diary
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